OREANDA-NEWS. January 22, 2010. Issue on establishment of „Park of Stones“ in Klaipeda was considered at the premises of Port Authority, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda Port.
 
For many years Port Authority has been executing dredging works in port waters in the Curonian Lagoon and entrance channel. During execution of these dredging operations thousands of boulders with diameter from 0,8 metres up to 2 metres are being excavated from the sea bottom. These boulders are numerated and warehoused on the seashore in the territory of Smiltyne

Excavated boulders are not just ordinary stones of Lithuania. Thousands of years on the sea bottom protected them from the impact of atmosphere, flora or human activity. Part of them was exposed to water impact. Therefore boulders excavated from the sea bottom by Port Authority may be of great scientific-cognitive value.

Furthermore, excavated boulders are significant in emotional – psychological viewpoint. They are not just simple field boulders, but witnesses of port development and its history. Port Authority with all its responsibility has anticipated a further destiny of these stones. Their application in constructions, pavements or as gravestones should be rather banal, meaningless and even culpable action.

These stones should be accessible to society as a kind of exposition. They might become a research object of geologists and geomorphologists of Lithuania. Therefore it is worth while saving and exhibiting them as artificially created landscape and perhaps there might be a possibility to expose them in pseudo-natural environment, simulating the bed of Curonian Lagoon. There might be an optional possibility to locate these stones as elements of ecological – cognitive pathway or to apply them in reinforcement of lagoon or sea coasts.

At any case these boulders should be exposed within the territory of Klaipeda municipality. Klaipeda Port geographically is located in town territory; therefore exportation of these stones to another municipality should make a harm to Klaipeda town.

Port Authority is anticipating to present these boulders to established exposition regardless the cost of several million litas paid for their excavation. Port Authority should give its consent to become the owner of such exposition in case such decision should be made in the course of discussions.

The basic current problem is to find an appropriate, accessible to society area of several hectares suitable for exhibition of stones from lagoon bed – „The Park of Stones“.